Plasmius Child
by MeliKun313
Summary: Vlad Plasmius Masters had a biological child, Darienne. He sends her off to Casper High, where she meets another halfa child, Danny. An interesting dynamic develops between the two teenagers. Will they be friend or foe? And how will the parents react!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **New Ghoul in School**

Darienne Plasmius Masters charged through the Ghost Zone at light speed, her newest enemy hot on her trail. Her ghastly red eyes detected every green and black swirl around her as well as her father's presence not far behind. She could feel her ghost energy starting to wane as it always did at this part. She was starting to get tired of running, but she couldn't disappoint her father. Not again.

"I am the Box Ghost! Beware my power over everything square!" the Box Ghost wailed behind her.

"Ah, shut up, Boxy!" Darienne retorted. She whirled around to face her enemy, who looked more like a hobo than a ghost.

"Darienne, ghostly wail!" her father, Vlad Plasmius, ordered.

The halfa glanced over at Vlad just in time for a box to hit her upside the head. She watched as the box floated away, and then quickly realized that the fight was not over. She angrily faced Boxy, who had several cube-shaped objects ready to fight with.

Darienne, on the other hand, had a ghostly wail.

She dropped her jaw, inhaled, and let out her best ghostly wail. She had to be careful to cover her ears as she wasn't quite used to the sound yet. The Box Ghost was flung backwards, and the cube-shaped objects disappeared into the ether. Her father stood aside, watching her every movement.

The ghostly wail always left Darienne gasping for air, which wasn't available in the Ghost Zone. She could already feel her human side desperate to take over and her eyes were starting to flicker back to sky blue. The halfa knew that if she changed here, she would never go back to being a human. Ever.

Suddenly, Darienne felt her father's strong grasp on her arm.

"Dammit, snap out of it," Vlad ordered. "He's coming back!"

Darienne snapped up her head to see Boxy charging towards her at full force. She grew more determined than ever to beat this foe.

 _'C'mon, Darienne. You don't have the Plasmius name attached to you for nothing!'_ the halfa thought silently.

Darienne closed her eyes, mustering all the ghost strength left in her. Then, opening her eyes, she dropped her jaw, inhaled, and let it all out. She could feel the power behind it, the strength of the Plasmius line showing through. She could also feel something gooey dripping down her chin.

As quickly as the ghostly wail came out, it was gone. Darienne glanced over to see her father staring in the direction that the Box Ghost had been flung. That was never a good sign. She then looked down at her white shoes and saw a green ooze on them.

 _'I must've overdone it again.'_ Darienne muttered in her head.

Suddenly, Darienne felt her father grab her wrist. They started heading toward the entrance to the Ghost Zone so fast Darienne almost blacked out. The fact that her father had started towards the entrance must have meant that the strongest ghost was hot on their trail.

Clockwork.

Darienne was flung onto the carpet of the Masters living room, still in ghost form. Her jet black hair was coming out of its ponytail and her usually tidy uniform had rips everywhere. She rolled over to face her father, who was also in ghost form.

"I'm going to go settle down Clockwork." Vlad said. "Once you're back in human form, please clean this mess up."

Darienne nodded weakly as her father disappeared back into the Ghost Zone. She felt some ectoplasm escape from her mouth and onto the carpet. Then, a white circle started at her waist and split to encompass her body.

She was back in human form.

Her jet black hair changed to a platinum blond and her red eyes changed to a sky blue. Her black uniform became a blue sundress that Vlad had bought her over the summer, and her white boots turned into bare feet.

 _"Once you're back in human form, please clean this mess up."_

Darienne knew that's not how it would go this time. She was too weak from the training to even move. She felt something moving up her esophagus, but quickly swallowed it back down. Her father wouldn't want more of a mess in the Masters living room.

The halfa quietly stared at the entrance to the Ghost Zone, her thoughts starting to grow fuzzy. She felt her eyelids starting to droop. Why did it always have to be like this?

 _'Dad, please come back soon…'_

Darienne woke up to being carried. The mansion had grown dark, and she was no longer in the living room. In fact, she was in the hallway in the upstairs chamber now. She could also feel that she was in one of her favorite nightgowns, the one with the kittens on it. She curled up her lips in a tiny smile.

"I cleaned up your mess for you." a stern voice said.

Darienne look up just in time for them to pass the bay window in the living room. Moonlight showed through, revealing that she was being carried by none other than her father, Vlad Masters. He was back in his human form, that being of an older gentleman.

"Thank you." Darienne answered, her voice barely a whisper.

Vlad opened the door to Darienne's bedroom and turned the light on. It revealed the room of a teenage girl about to start her freshman year in high school. The room was painted a light green with kitten trim and a queen-sized bed in the corner. There was also a dresser on the far wall, and a walk-in closet on the other. The bed itself had bedposts on its four corners and cream-colored curtains surrounding it. Vlad lay his daughter in the bed and then sat on the edge.

"You shouldn't use all your power like that, you know." Vlad said, moving Darienne's bangs from her face.

"I know," Darienne said, averting her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"It does worry me when you use too much power. You know that-"

"If I change into a human there, I'm never coming back out." Darienne chimed in. This wasn't the first time father and daughter were having this talk.

"Yes…," Vlad said slowly. "You also need to get your rest for school tomorrow. It'll be your first day at a school that size."

"Do I _have_ to go? Why can't you homeschool me like normal?"

"My employees are complaining that I'm not there enough. Running two companies is much more difficult than you give it credit for, my dear."

"Oh, all right. And Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Hug."

Vlad caved in and gave Darienne the hug that she always got each and every night. With that, Darienne watched as her father gave her a small smile, turned the lights off, and shut the door behind him.

Within minutes, the halfa was in a deep, deep slumber.

The next morning, business was as usual. Darienne turned off her billions of alarm clocks and picked out one of the numerous dresses that Vlad had bought her over the summer. She decided to go with a red dress with a white lack color and lacy white sleeves. After changing, she brushed her hair and teeth and then called her father into the enormous bathroom to do her make-up. She would have done it herself, but it was something that her fruitloop of a father enjoyed doing.

"Do you want a lot or minimal?" Vlad asked.

"Minimal. It is my first day, after all." Darienne answered.

Her father nodded in approval, and proceeded to decorate his daughter's face. In the end, she had black mascara and purple eyeshadow. Perfect for a girl with blue eyes and a red dress.

Afterwards, the two each grabbed either a bagel or toast for breakfast and climbed into the limousine in the drive. Whenever Vlad had to work on a day like today, the two would talk about the day's coming events and discuss where to drop Darienne off. Today, it so happened that Darienne was to be dropped off at the high school.

Once the limousine arrived at the high school, it received tons of surprised stares. Darienne's face flushed with all the attention. Normally, she only received attention from one person, which was her father.

"Don't be alarmed, Darienne." Vlad said. "I heard that the student body president will be showing you around. And if you need anything, you have my cell."

Darienne nodded, giving her father one last hug before stepping out. Once outside the limo, she was greeted by a girl not much older than she. The girl had long orange hair held back in a headband and wore a black three-quarter-length shirt and blue jeans.

"Hi, I'm Jazz Fenton," the girl greeted cheerfully. She held out her hand. "And you are…?"

"D-Darienne Masters." Darienne answered meekly. She shook Jazz's hand.

"Masters? Is your f-?" Jazz asked in surprise. Darienne watched as Jazz peered around her into the eyes of Vlad.

Vlad gave a small wave as the limo sped off, leaving Jazz and Darienne standing awkwardly in the dust.

"Don't mind my father," the halfa said quickly. "He's a fruitloop."

Jazz slowly nodded, her gaze evidently somewhere else. Then, as quickly as Darienne noticed it, Jazz's focus was back on her. She motioned for Darienne to follow her, and the two girls walked up the sidewalk towards the high school.

"Your first class is going to be with Mr. Lancer. He can be a weirdo, but you'll get used to him. You'll also be with my brother." Jazz's eyes sparkled with pride.

By that point, the girls had reached Mr. Lancer's room. Jazz escorted her into the room, where Darienne was greeted calmly by Mr. Lancer. He was a tall, balding man with a black goatee and noticeable potbelly. The teacher waved at Jazz with a smile as she left the room.

"All right, class, listen up," Mr. Lancer said formally, getting mixed reactions from the students. "We have a new student this year to the district. Would you kindly introduce yourself?"

"H-hello," Darienne greeted, channeling her inner Vlad. "I'm Darienne Masters. It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I hope we have a great year together."

"Thank you for that, Darienne," Mr. Lancer said. "You can sit next to Mr. Fenton over there."

 _'Fenton…where do I know that name…? Dad might have mentioned it before…I think.'_ Darienne thought as she sat down next to the Fenton kid.

"Hey, I'm Danny." the kid said, waving. "By any chance, are you Vlad's kid?"

"Y-yeah…," Darienne replied, waving back. "Why?"

"Just wondering."

"Mr. Fenton, would you please stop wooing our new student?" Mr. Lancer asked, apparently annoyed.

The question was received by giggles from around the classroom. Danny's face grew red and Darienne looked away. It didn't help that she had her father's eyes as well as his slightly upturned nose.

After class was over during passing period, Darienne was stopped by Danny and a couple of other teenagers, a Gothic girl and a boy with a red hat. She cocked her head to one side as to why they were stopping her during such an important time.

"Hey, Darienne," Danny said. "You wanna eat with us at lunch? Sam's vegetarian, but other than that-"

"Oh, shut up," Sam, the Gothic girl, interrupted. She elbowed Danny in the side.

"Back off, Fenton, rich girl's mine!" a jock in a Letterman jacket butted in. "She's cute _and_ she has money."

"I think I'll pass," Darienne said, looking up at the jock. "My dad said that I shouldn't trust people who are in it for the money."

"Yeah Chad, piss off." Danny retorted at the jock.

Chad made rather dark eye contact with Danny and walked away. Darienne quickly agreed to eat lunch with Danny and his friend, as she didn't want any more attention than was absolutely necessary. The hours quickly passed by with Earth/Space Science, World History, and music class. Before long, Darienne had joined Danny and friends for lunch.

"Something's fishy here," Danny said, gazing at his food. "Was this moving yesterday?"

"Not that I remember," the boy in the red hat answered.

"Tucker, would you go check on Sam? She's been in the lunch line for forever. I'll keep Darienne company."

Tucker nodded and was off in a flash. Once Tucker was gone, Danny turned to the halfa.

"Is your dad really Vlad Masters?" he asked.

"Y-yes… Why?" Darienne answered shyly.

Danny paused, closing his eyes, as though a huge revelation was about to take place. Darienne gulped as Danny turned back to her. He move the black bangs from his face, revealing a pair of blue eyes as deep as the ocean.

"What about Vlad Plasmius?"

Darienne was taken aback. How would another human, especially one she had never met, know about her family secret? She felt the blood rise to her face, and her voice came out in a whisper.

"H-how did you know…?" she stammered.

Danny's eyes grew wide, but their conversation was cut short by Tucker arriving back at the table. However, Sam wasn't with him.

"Danny, Sam's in trouble," Tucker panted. "There's a ghost in the kitchen!"

Danny stood up and dashed over behind a trashcan. Then, Darienne heard three words that she would hear many more times in the future.

 _"I'm going ghost!"_

Then, a figure with white hair and glowing green eyes emerged from behind the trash container. Darienne's sky blue eyes grew wide.

"Danny must really trust you if he lets you see him like that. I thought it was just me and Sam." Tucker commented. "What were you two talking about anyway?"

"N-nothing…" Darienne murmured. Then, it came to her.

She wasn't the only half ghost, half human child anymore. Now, it was Darienne Plasmius and Danny Phantom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **The Phantom Pair**

"A ghost in the kitchen?" Darienne cried as the three rushed toward the kitchen.

"Yeah. She likes meat, which is a plus. The major part, though, is that she's attacking our friend!" Tucker answered.

The three teens arrived in the kitchen to see Sam entrapped in a pile of various meats with a ghoulish lunch lady lecturing her about the joys of eating meat.

As the ghost gave Sam a choice on whether to gobble down a piece of tilapia or chicken, Danny pulled Darienne and Tucker behind a pile of meat boxes. Darienne had never faced a ghost in a real battle and didn't want to make enemies amongst her 'other' kind. This was most certainly a dilemma.

"Tucker, I want you to go distract the lunch lady." Danny ordered to his friend. Tucker gladly obliged and dashed away. Then, the white-haired halfa turned to Darienne.

"Darienne, I hate to ask this," Danny sighed. "Have you ever fought a ghost before?"

"Only in train-," Darienne began. She thought the better of what she was about to say. Then, she answered, "No…"

"All right, well, that's all well and good. You'll be with me. I need you to get the lunch lady over here somehow. Then, we'll go from there."

The halfa nodded. She instantly had an idea of what she could do, but she couldn't transform around Danny.

Darienne dashed out from behind the boxes full force towards the pile of meat. The lunch ghost made a grab for her, but she dodged.

"Hey, meat lover? Wanna have a piece of me?" Darienne called as she backed away from the meat pile.

As the lunch lady attempted to tackle her, Darienne transformed into her ghost alter-ego. Her platinum blond hair changed to jet black, and her normally blue eyes changed to red. Her skin went from being pale to a bluish shade. The red dress became a black jumpsuit with white shoes, something her father had made her wear. This time, she also felt fangs in her mouth. That was new.

Just as quickly as the lunch lady had lunged for her, the big womanly ghost rolled onto the floor behind Darienne. After rubbing her head a few times, the enemy ghost turned around and instantly recognized Darienne.

"Plasmius' daughter? What are you-?" the ghost began.

"Ah great, two ghosts." Darienne heard Danny say. He floated up beside the other halfa, who looked just as surprised as he was frustrated.

"D-don't worry," Darienne stammered, trying to blow off the awkward situation. "I h-heard about the situation and came to help."

"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm already-" Danny began.

 _"You're on HIS side?"_ the lunch ghost wailed.

Suddenly, meat started flowing from all directions, covering the lunch ghost. Danny and Darienne watched as the meat engulfed the enemy, creating an even bigger monster than likely either of them was prepared to fight.

"On second thought…let's run." Danny whispered audibly.

Darienne grabbed Tucker, Danny grabbed Sam, and together they got the humans out of the room by flying through walls. Darienne had been taught enough skills by her father to know how to navigate as a ghost.

 _'I might be in a bit over my head this time, though!'_ she thought to herself.

Danny set Sam down on the school grounds, and Darienne set Tucker down beside Sam. Her new human friends as well as Danny looked equally confused.

"Who and what are you?" Danny inquired forcefully.

"I can explain-!" Darienne began, but was interrupted by a stream of protein.

The meat flung the halfa into the fence at the edge of campus. Darienne was beyond enraged, so much so that she let out her ghostly wail. The halfa had her eyes closed as she wailed, so she could not see what was going on. However, after a minute or so, her ghostly wail stopped. She opened her eyes, and saw that the meat had disintegrated off of their foe.

Darienne watched as Danny shot ectoplasmic rays from his hands. This caused the ghastly foe to start to lose her form. However, the halfa saw that it wasn't enough.

 _'How can I help? If only there were two of me…think, Darienne!'_

Suddenly, Darienne felt a shift in her body. She watched as a clone was formed from herself. Looking at the clone next to her, she grinned mischievously, and both nodded. The two ladies charged at lunch ghost and stopped next to Danny, who was desperately trying to make the foe lose her form with his "ghostly rays."

"Let us help." Darienne's clone said confidently.

Together, Darienne and her clone created a ball of red ectoplasm with their palms. After a few seconds, they threw it at their enemy, causing an explosion. For a few minutes, there was nothing but dust and ash. Darienne coughed and gagged, falling to the ground. She hit the ground with a _thud_ , and a bit of ectoplasm escaped her mouth. She saw the circles of light engulf her body, causing her to go back to her human form. Voices came from nearby, and Darienne recognized Danny's voice caught her attention.

"Darienne?" Danny asked, concerned. "H-how did you get out…"

Danny's voice grew fuzzy as Darienne's world started to go dark. Why did this happen each time? Why couldn't she sustain her ghost form like Danny and her father? To her, it was anyone's guess.

"…get the nurse…!" a voice called.

Then, everything went black.

Darienne woke up in a room with a desk and a bookshelf lined with books. As she studied them, she noticed that most of them were about the paranormal, and a few were about the Salem Witch Trials. She picked one up and started reading, instantly taken by detailed illustrations of how ectoplasm worked, and how one's DNA could be combined with a ghost's.

Suddenly, a door opened behind her. Darienne turned around to see a woman with platinum blond hair in a white evening gown step in. Darienne and the woman looked quite different, but they had the same firm jawline and general body shape. Both were thin, yet of average height. Instantly, a thought occurred in the halfa's mind.

"Mother…?" Darienne whispered hopefully.

"I'm Karla, Karla Masters," the woman said. "And yes, I'm your mother."

Darienne felt her face light up. She started towards her mother, but Karla backed away, shaking her head sadly.

"I'm afraid that we cannot touch in this realm." Karla said.

"But…why? I've waited so long to meet you, Mom!" Darienne cried, choking on her tears.

Karla didn't say anything, giving a soft, sad smile. Darienne took a step forward as her mother left through the door opposite of the halfa. The door closed, leaving Darienne with more questions than a confused fifth grader. She dashed over to the door and started turning the knob.

"Mother, come back!" Darienne called.

The door was locked.

"Mother, please!"

Still nothing.

"Mother, mother…"

"Mother!" Darienne cried, her face soaked in tears. She sat up on the cot, afternoon sunlight streaming through the window next to her. Darienne glanced around and realized she was in the nurse's office. Feeling her head, she noticed she was bandaged in a few areas. Then, she saw Danny sitting on a stool next to the cot.

"Were you dreaming?" Danny inquired.

Darienne looked away and nodded. She had never had a dream like that before, much less knew what her own mother looked like. This was definitely a first.

"Do you mind telling me what it was about?" Danny asked.

"I'd rather not…" Darienne replied.

"That's okay. I won't ask any more about that. I do have one more question, though."

"What's that?"

"Were you that ghost that was with us earlier?"

Darienne instantly stared at Danny, whom was gazing back at her with those ocean-blue eyes. His gaze did not waver in the slightest.

The girl looked back down at the sheet covering her legs. She only nodded in reply.

Just as Danny was about to speak up, Vlad stepped into the room. He briskly walked over and inspected Darienne up and down, left and right, without words. Then, he nodded seemingly in approval. There was a long pause, then Darienne spoke up.

"D-Dad, this is my friend, Danny," Darienne said, gesturing to the other halfa. "He's the one who brought me to the nurse's office after my fall."

"Y-yes," Danny stammered, standing up to shake Vlad's hand. "Danny Fenton, at your service, Mr. Masters."

"Thank you for taking such great care of my daughter, Daniel," Vlad said, shaking Danny's hand. "I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more of each other from here on out."

The nurse came in, gesturing for Vlad to step back out for a moment.

"Daniel, would you please keep my daughter company? The nurse and I have to go over a few more…details for Darienne's treatment." Vlad said.

Danny and Darienne watched as Vlad walked back out and shut the door. Then, the two halfas turned to each other.

"So…you're half ghost, too." Danny said, sitting back down.

"Yep," Darienne responded, averting her eyes. "But unlike my father, I was born a halfa."

"What's a…halfa?"

"You and me, and dad. Half ghost, half human hybrids."

Danny appeared perplexed, "But how-?"

Suddenly, Vlad popped back into the room again, this time without the nurse. He sat on the end of the cot with his elbows on his knees. After a few minutes, he looked at the two halfas.

"Darienne, for your health and safety, the nurse has advised that you stay home for a few days," Vlad began slowly. "That being said, Daniel here will be bringing you your homework."

Darienne gazed out the window as Vlad and Danny discussed how the other halfa would be getting to their house for the next few days. However, Darienne paid no attention. She thought about her mother, about how she was being pulled out of school, and about how her and Danny would be getting along. The thoughts about her mother, though, were the most prevalent.

"That settles it, then." Vlad said, shaking hands with Danny. "You'll be stopping by every day at four-o'-clock. How does that sound, Darienne?"

"P-perfect!" Darienne answered, though she had only a vague idea of what was said.

Father and daughter said farewell to Danny as he left the nurse's office. A few minutes after Danny left, Vlad turned to his daughter.

"I was told that you fell off the roof," Vlad said sternly. "But I know that you are much smarter than that. What _really_ happened?"

"I…uh…," Darienne stuttered. "I f-fought the lunch lady ghost…with another halfa."

Vlad seemed taken aback by the revelation. So taken aback that nothing was said for what seemed like forever. Darienne felt guilty about revealing this to her own father.

 _'I'd feel even guiltier if I revealed Danny's secret…'_

"Did anyone see you transform?" Vlad asked, turning to face his daughter.

"No. I made sure I transformed away from humans…" Darienne answered quietly.

"And does anyone know your secret?"

"No." A lie, of course.

"And what of the halfa?"

"They disappeared after the ghost was defeated. Next thing I knew, I was in the nurse's office with Danny."

Vlad nodded, seemingly deep in thought. He paced around the room for a while, doing so as the bright afternoon sunshine became shades of oranges and yellows. Darienne was close to falling asleep at that point, but forced herself to stay awake. She knew the long-awaited ride home would be coming soon.

"I suppose I don't see any problem with the situation." Vlad finally stated. "Now, why don't we start our journey home?"

Darienne nodded and started to stand up. She winced, though, as her head started to throb. She sat back down and averted her eyes from Vlad. She hated being seen like this.

"No problem, my dear." Vlad said. He picked her up in his arms like he always did and carried her downstairs and out to where the limousine was waiting. He set Darienne gently in her seat and then got in beside her.

"Dad…can I ask you a question?" Darienne inquired, glancing over at Vlad.

"Ask away, my child." Vlad answered cordially.

"W-what was Mother like?"

"Well…Karla, your mother, was sweet…and gentle. She was smart and actually graduated from Casper High at the top of her class. To be honest, I never knew a kinder woman."

Darienne nodded silently and rested her head on her father's shoulder. She could see dark clouds threatening them with lightning in the distance. As the limousine's lights came on, the halfa closed her eyes. After the events of today, she was certain that those same storm clouds awaited Danny, her father, and herself in the not-so-distant future.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **Skulker**

Darienne woke up the next morning to an empty mansion. She crawled out of bed and slowly walked downstairs to find a note on the entrance to the kitchen:

 _Working at DALV today._

 _There is a bagel ready for the toaster._

 _Danny is stopping by at 4-o'-clock._

 _Love,_

 _Dad_

As usual, the note was written in Vlad's neat cursive handwriting. Darienne placed the note on the counter and began toasting the bagel. She wished that her dad would have stayed home today to be with her, but she knew that he had his reasons. He was the CEO of two companies, after all.

After breakfast, Darienne got dressed and went to her father's library. She had read most, if not all, of the books in there at least three times. So, she picked out a random book and began reading. And reading.

And reading.

As if no time had passed at all, Darienne heard the grandfather clock in the library strike three. She had completely skipped lunch and still needed to practice her piano lesson. Darienne dashed downstairs, made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and started to look through her next piece that she would be playing. By the time she finished fingering through the book, it was 3:55.

 _Ha! Nailed it._ Darienne thought smugly.

Then came a knock at the door.

Darienne crept over to the window next to the front door and peered out. Sure enough, it was Danny with a bag full of textbooks and papers. The halfa smiled. Finally, some company.

Darienne opened the front door and smiled at her friend.

"Uh…I brought the homework and stuff from today," Danny said nervously. "If you want, I can try to help…"

"That would be great!" Darienne answered. "Come on in."

Darienne instantly noticed how fascinated Danny was with the mansion once he entered. The atrium was its own room, with two curved staircases at the far end that led to the upstairs chambers. Also at the far end was a door that led into her father's laboratory, which held the portal to the Ghost Zone. To the right was a door that led to the dining room and kitchen, and the left led to the living room and library.

"So…where to first?" Darienne asked the other halfa.

"Anywhere, I suppose. Say, are those the same bandages from yesterday?" Danny answered, pointing to the girl's head.

"Yeah, why?"

"Do you want to maybe…change them?"

Darienne felt at the bandages on her head. They _were_ becoming a bit uncomfortable, so she agreed.

The two teens walked up the right curved staircase into a hallway that held as many rooms as there were school subjects. They stopped at the bathroom, which held a giant Jacuzzi-shaped bathtub, two sinks, two toilets, and a built-in shower. Darienne noticed Danny's eyes grow wide at the sight as she grabbed bandages and gauze from the medicine cabinet.

"Wow…and it's just you and Vlad?" Danny inquired.

"Pretty much, with the occasional visitor. Ghost or otherwise," Darienne answered, handing her friend the medicinal supplies. She sat down on the edge of the bathtub. "You were about to ask me something the other day, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," the boy said as he helped Darienne remove the initial bandages. "I don't even know where to start… So, Vlad is your biological father, yes?"

"Yeah."

"And you're his daughter."

"Yep."

"H-how…did that work with your mother?"

Darienne froze as Danny started applying the first layer of bandages. He seemed to notice, and set down the bandages and gauze beside him.

"The thing is…I don't really know that much about my mom," Darienne explained slowly. "The most I know is that her name is Karla, and I got my hair color from her. That's about it. I've overheard my father have conversations about her, but that didn't help much. All I know is that she was bedridden with me, and shortly after I was born…she died."

"Jeez, that's rough," Danny commented. He started to apply the new gauze and bandages on Darienne's head.

"Yeah…" Darienne whispered in response.

The two sat in silence as Danny finished applying the new bandages to Darienne's head. When he was done, the two threw away the old gauze, and stepped out of the bathroom. Darienne showed her ghostly friend around the mansion, allowing Danny to take it all in. Once they were done, they stopped in the atrium once more.

"So, how about that homework?" Danny asked sarcastically.

"Oh yeah! Almost forgot," Darienne giggled. "Let's go in the living room."

Once the two were in the living room, they sat down and got out their laptops. However, both were noticeably distracted by a much larger presence in the room.

"Hey, what's that door over there?" Danny inquired, pointing to a larger metal door in the center of the far wall.

"It's a portal to the Ghost Zone," Darienne answered. "Dad trains me in the Ghost Zone to help with my endurance and whatnot."

"…Trains you…?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, dude!" Darienne threw an eraser at her friend. "Dad helps train my ghost half. His goal is to make my other half stronger."

"What about your own goals, though?"

Darienne had only a brief moment to think on, for in that same moment, the ghost portal opened. Both halfas turned and looked at the mysterious green landscape beyond the doorframe. For Darienne, the landscape beyond was calling her; beckoning her to find something.

"Wanna go?" Danny asked, grabbing Darienne's hand.

Darienne only nodded in response, still hypnotized by the swirling greens, grays, and blacks. The two transformed into their ghastly counterparts and, still holding hands, entered the world of the hereafter.

The two halfas floated through the Ghost Zone, taking in the spectral scenery. Doors surrounded them at every turn and corner. Darienne was curious, as she never had entered one of the doors, but she knew it was dangerous to intrude on someone else's territory. Then, she felt Danny's grip tighten on her hand.

"Something the matter?" Darienne asked her friend.

"Nothing…it's just that this is only the second time I've been in here," Danny answered, glancing around. "I'm barely familiar with the Ghost Zone and, last time I was here, I got put in ghost jail."

"Walker, huh?" Darienne gave Danny an understanding look.

Danny nodded in response. The two noticed that they were heading towards a door that Darienne vaguely recognized. The door had the Plasmius insignia on it, which consisted of a teal head with hair in the shape of devil horns. In short, it was Vlad's head without a face. Of all the doors in this creepy zone, Darienne felt compelled to open this one. She felt as though it was her birthright to do so.

Surprisingly, the door wasn't locked. The female halfa stepped in with her partner not far behind. The door shut itself behind them, causing Darienne to shiver. She looked around the room, which was small and rectangular. The only piece of furniture was a wooden table in the center, and on that table was what appeared to be a photo album. The album was brown and musty with a thin layer of ectoplasm on it. Darienne picked it up, and the ectoplasm disappeared, revealing the Plasmius insignia.

"Should I open it?" Darienne asked, unsure. "I mean…this must be pretty special to my dad if he keeps it here."

"I dunno," Danny answered. "I mess with my parents' stuff all the time and they don't notice."

"No comment." Darienne raised an eyebrow. Then, her expression changing to foreboding, she gazed back at the photo album. The halfa gulped, opening it up to the first page. There sat a picture of a teal-colored infant with jet black hair and a tiny fang sticking out of its mouth. The infant wore a black dress with tiny dress shoes. The caption below the picture read 'Darienne: 1 day old.'

 _'That's…me?'_ Darienne gasped inwardly. _'I look…dead…'_

The two halfas glanced at each other with something of fear and curiosity. Danny only nodded, and Darienne turned the page.

The next two pages revealed the infant Darienne in the same outfit, but her skin tone was becoming closer and closer to her human skin color. Darienne had so many questions already, but she was afraid to ask them to her father. She continued to flip the pages until she saw her week-old self. She noticed that her skin color was that of her present self, but the baby was being held by her mother.

"Wow, is that your mother," Danny inquired, concerned.

"Yeah." Darienne responded quietly.

"She looks…almost…" the male halfa's voice trailed off.

Neither of the two ghost children bothered to finish the sentence. Darienne briskly shut the book and held it close to her chest. She had a feeling that she knew why her mother died so soon after she was born, and Danny couldn't find out. Not ever.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a frightening voice questioned behind them.

Danny and Darienne whirled around to see a shadowy, devilish figure in the doorway. Then the figure floated in, revealing fiery green hair, cold green eyes, and gray metallic skin.

"Skulker…," Danny hissed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just passing through and sense two halflings around," Skulker answered with a chuckle. "I figured that you two should be my newest prey, especially you."

Darienne gulped when Skulker stared at her. She had never fought Skulker before, though she suspected Danny had by the look in his eyes. Skulker floated forward, and the two halfas took a few steps back. By this time, Darienne was noticeably shivering. She glanced at her friend, who seemed to share her sentiment.

"Darienne," Danny said without a glance.

"Y-yes…?"

"RUN!"

Danny grabbed Darienne's hand and used his intangibility to fly them through the wall of Vlad's lair. The male halfa was flying them through the Ghost Zone at a mile a minute with Darienne clinging to his hand. When Darienne glanced back, though, she saw that Skulker was hot on their trail.

Skulker fired off missiles from his shoulder, sending them hurling directly at the halfas. Darienne noticed, and used her own intangibility to protect Danny and her. The missiles went right through them towards another ghost's lair. Whose lair, exactly, both the halfas didn't want to find out.

"You think you can escape that easily, huh?" Skulker taunted.

"Yes, I do!" Danny retorted.

He flew himself and Darienne into a ghostly house and both stopped to rest. Darienne could feel her human side start to take over once more, but quickly shook the feeling off as she sensed Skulker getting closer. She was about to grab her friend's hand, when she heard an explosion behind her.

Then, Darienne noticed Danny wasn't there.

"Danny? Danny, where are you?" Darienne asked frantically.

"I have him right here, ghost girl." Skulker answered. He appeared in front of the girl, holding a limp Danny by the wrist. Danny's hazmat uniform was ripped to shreds, and his white bangs hung in his face. Ectoplasm bled out from wounds to his chest area and his legs.

"Now, it's your turn, ghost girl," Skulker said coldly, pointing an arm cannon at her.

"No, it's not…," Darienne whispered as Skulker backed her into a corner. "It can't be…" All she could see was Danny's limp ghost body in Skulker's hand. She knew she would be seeing it in her nightmares.

' _I can't use my ghostly wail, not with Danny like this,'_ Darienne thought desperately. _'Do I use my ghost rays?'_

Skulker began charging his arm cannon.

' _Looks like I don't have a choice!'_

Darienne fired an ectoplasmic beam at Skulker, causing him to release Danny from his vice grip. She dropped the photo album, grabbed Danny, and flew upstairs. This led her two a menagerie of rooms. She dashed down to the last room on the left, opened the door, and went in. Shutting the door behind her with her leg, she went to the far corner and laid Danny down. Simply looking at him brought tears to her eyes. However, she brushed the tears away.

"Gotta be strong…," she whispered. Darienne placed her hands over Danny's torso, causing a green aura to form over him. The ectoplasm began disappearing along with the wounds. After a few minutes, she took a break and lay down beside Danny. Not all his wounds were healed, but Darienne suspected he would be feeling better already.

Light began to fade from the window above them. Darienne knew her father would be wondering where they were, why they weren't studying like they should. Danny's parents would be worried about him for sure. At least, so she thought.

Darienne started to close her eyes, the thoughts in her mind making her sleepy. It was quickly becoming difficult to stay vigilant and awake. The last thing she saw was a figure in the doorway with a cannon aimed directly at her.

Then, an explosion that sounded so distant it could have come from anywhere.

The last two things Darienne experienced were instant pain, then oblivion.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **For a Rainy Day**

"Wake up, ghost girl!" a familiar voice ordered.

Then, a slap across the face.

Darienne slowly opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings as she did so. She noticed that she was in a room with metal walls, a tile floor, and she was being held by glowing handcuffs and shackles. Glancing up, she saw Skulker wearing a maniacal grin on his face. He knelt down and took her chin in two of his gloved fingers.

"How does it feel to not have daddy here to save you?" Skulker jeered. Darienne could feel the ectoplasm on his breath.

"Where's Danny?" Darienne demanded. She struggled in the shackles, but was only shocked in return. The halfa clenched her teeth, not wanting to give the ghost hunter what he wanted.

"You want to see you friend, you ask?" Skulker chuckled darkly. "I hope you like what you see."

Skulker left Darienne's side for a brief moment. When he returned he dropped Danny in front of her. Two glowing green blades pierced Danny's torso, and his hands and ankles were bound much like Darienne's. Ectoplasm oozed from Danny's wounds, and it dripped from Danny's mouth. Darienne quickly noticed bruises and lacerations on his face, arms, and legs, as though he had been tortured while she was unconscious. She glared up at her captor.

"Why, you…what'd you do to him?" the ghost girl seethed.

"So many demands, so little time," Skulker answered with a dark grin. "I simply roughed him up a bit. You know…to let him know who his killer is."

Darienne fought back angry tears as Skulker kicked Danny in the back, causing the blades to move even further into his system. Danny coughed up more ectoplasm, but opened his eyes regardless. Those green eyes, Darienne thought, looked defeated.

"I'll let you two have one last chat before I cut off ghost boy's head," Skulker said, walking away. He turned around one last time, "That's to remind you of your fate, girl."

Darienne gulped as Skulker left the room, stifling a sob. She couldn't bear to even glance at her friend as a tear escaped from one eye. Danny, however, kept his eyes open.

"Don't worry, Darienne," Danny rasped, giving her a sad smile. "You'll find a way out, I'm sure of it. I can always deal with Skulker."

"I'm not leaving without you!" Darienne responded, her voice cracking. "Skulker is going to _kill_ you, don't you see?"

"It'll be okay, D-Dari…enne…" Danny's voice trailed off as his eyes closed. Darienne couldn't help but let a few cries escape from her mouth. She felt frustration, anger, sorrow, and defeat all at the same time. Would their situation end up like Skulker said, or would they get out alive? Or…

"It is time, ghost children." Skulker announced as he reentered the room. He held in his hand a glowing green ax that appeared to have seen more than one beheading. Darienne gazed at it in fright, not wanting to know all that the ax had done.

"You'll pay for this tenfold." Darienne said, glowering at Skulker.

"And how is that, child?" Skulker chuckled darkly.

Darienne inhaled, prepping her ghostly wail. However, upon attempting to use it, she felt an intense shock go through her system. The only thing that came out of her mouth was a scream.

Skulker cackled in delight as Darienne's scream faded away to nothingness. The girl tried to support herself on her hands, but her elbows threatened to buckle underneath her. She gave Skulker her best glare, and Skulker glared back.

"You'll have to do better than that, girl," the hunter spat. "You aren't known as the Plasmius Child for nothing."

Darienne's elbows buckled after Skulker's statement. Her head landed next to Danny's, and she felt her lower lip tremble. She heard Skulker's maniacal laugh, then the swing of an ax.

 _'This is how it ends, huh?'_

Suddenly, a ghostly wail filled the entire lair with sound. The sound sent Skulker flying into the opposite wall, and it broke the handcuffs that bound Darienne's wrists together. The girl instantly held Danny close, not caring if the ectoplasmic blades pierced her skin as well. A painful sensation rippled through her body, causing ectoplasm to drip from her mouth. However, she simply hugged Danny, keeping both of them from being flung towards Skulker.

The ghostly wail died down, causing Darienne to feel all the pain that the blades caused within her. She gazed up as a figure floated down from a hole in the roof. It was none other than her father, Vlad Plasmius. He landed on the floor next to Darienne, setting what appeared to be the photo album beside her. Then, Vlad sent a red ectoplasmic beam towards Skulker. Darienne heard Skulker cry out, and then sounds of footsteps.

"If you _ever_ come near my daughter again…," Vlad's voice trailed off.

Another ectoplasmic beam.

Another painful wail.

Darienne closed her eyes as she heard her father's fists collide with Skulker's armor. The sound of fighting went on for what seemed like forever. The girl clung on to Danny even tighter as she heard the finishing blow, and Skulker being sent flying. Footsteps came toward her, and then Darienne felt her father's presence directly over her. She saw Vlad kneel down beside her. He quietly and methodically broke the shackles that bound Darienne's ankles and Danny's limbs. He then picked up Darienne and put her on his back and wrapped a layer of ectoplasmic rope around the two of them to keep his daughter from falling. Finally, he picked up Danny and the photo album and the small party went flying out of Skulker's lair.

Darienne started to nod off as Vlad flew them through the Ghost Zone at a surprisingly calm rate. She knew that no ghost worth their salt would mess with her father. She could also feel her father's inner ghastly core humming as they flew. The female halfa closed her eyes and became lost in her thoughts.

Soon, she was asleep.

Vlad entered the mansion through the Ghost Portal, still in his ghastly form. He glanced around as he lay the ghost boy on the living room couch. Then, he untied the ectoplasmic rope from his chest and gently lay his daughter on the couch. Within seconds, Darienne's ghost form gave out and revealed her human form. There were still the tear marks in her clothes, but the wounds were all but gone. That made the edges of Vlad's lips curl up in a small smile. Despite her lack of endurance, Darienne could heal quite fast.

 _'I can't say the same for the other, though…'_ Vlad mused silently.

As the adult halfa turned around, though, he saw a flash of white light. He watched as the ghost boy transformed into a human child. The child had hair as black as a raven's feather, a torn white T-shirt and blue jeans.

"Now _this_ is interesting." Vlad murmured with a smirk. He instantly recognized the boy as Danny Fenton from when his daughter was in the nurse's office. As Vlad brushed the bangs from Danny's eyes, he could feel the gears in his own head start turning.

After being sure that both of the children were well asleep, Vlad transformed back into his human form. He went into the kitchen and grabbed the family address book, flipping through it with ease. Shortly thereafter, he found Jack Fenton's number in the book. He picked up the kitchen phone and dialed Jack's number from the address book. The phone only rang twice before someone answered.

"Hello?" a familiar voice answered.

"Hello, Jack old pal, this Vlad," Vlad said smoothly.

"Vladdy, is that you? What a surprise!" Jack exclaimed. "Is Danny doing okay with your daughter? If he tries anything, I'll give him a lesson on girls."

"Oh, things are just splendid! You see, Daniel fell asleep helping my dear daughter study," Vlad lied through his teeth. "It's so stormy out tonight, I thought that I would give Daniel a place to stay for the night. I wouldn't want him walking home with lightning and thunder out."

"You would really do that for our son? That's so awesome of you, Vladdy! Tell Danny that we love him and we'll see him tomorrow after school, 'kay?"

"Will do. Have a wonderful night, Jack."

Vlad hung up and went back into the living room to find the two half-ghost children still slumbering on the couches. He put blankets on the both of them and, hearing thunder crash outside, went over to the window. Outside there was nothing but darkness and the sound of rain pounding on the windows and the driveway. Another crash of thunder came, and then a brief flash of lightning filled the sky. Vlad turned back to look at his daughter and his new charity case. He felt his face go from its usual calm demeanor to a villainous smirk.

 _'Perfect.'_

Darienne awoke at the crash of thunder outside. She glanced around cautiously, quickly noticed that she and Danny were no longer in Skulker's lair. In fact, she was laying covered up on her bed in her bedroom. Looking to her left, she saw the light of her bedside lamp and, next to the lamp, her father. Darienne gasped in shock and fright, but briskly regained her composure.

"Darienne, we need to have a little talk." Vlad said.

The halfa glanced past her father at the analog clock on her wall.

"At 3:30 AM…?" Darienne croaked, her voice hoarse.

"Yes," her father answered, pulling up a stool in sitting down. "I'm quite disappointed in you, actually. You could have gotten Danny and yourself killed!"

"I'm sorry…," Darienne looked away. "I just…I just felt something calling to me."

"Would it happen to be this?" Vlad held up the photo album.

Darienne nodded.

Vlad started flipping through the album, "To be honest, I was saving this album for a rainy day-," He glanced up at his daughter, who raised an eyebrow, "But I suppose you ought to know sooner rather than later."

"About mother?"

"Yes, about your mother."

Darienne gave a small smile as Vlad sat next to her on the bed. It no longer mattered to her if it was three-thirty in the morning or not. She was finally going to hear the story of her mother after fourteen years.

"I suppose it all began during my college years," Vlad began. "That was a long time ago, when I was still quite young."

Vlad walked excitedly through the halls of the University of Wisconsin. It was his senior year, and he was finally meeting up with Jack and Madi after a summer abroad. He entered the mess hall largely unnoticed, but was greeted cheerfully by Jack and Madi from their usual booth. Vlad signed in, grabbed his food, and headed towards the booth in question. Since they were the only three Paranormal Activities majors at the school, they sat in the back of the mess hall in their own little world.

"What's up, Vladdy?" Jack asked cordially.

"Oh, nothing major," Vlad answered coolly. "I had simply the most spectacular time in Germany! You'll never believe all the spectral happenings there-!"

"Speaking of spectacular, you'll never believe what we found out today!" Madi interrupted.

Vlad wasn't phased in the slightest by the interruption. He had been crushing on Madi ever since his sophomore year when she entered the program. However, he knew her heart belonged to the idiot Jack.

"Yeah! We have a new Paranormal Activities major!" Jack chimed in ecstatically.

"My goodness, that is wonderful!" Vlad responded. "What's his name?"

"Actually, _he's_ a _she_ ," Madi said. "Her name is Karla, and she's a transfer student from a community college."

Vlad nodded. It wasn't often that they received new students to the program, much less female students. The student Karla now had his full curiosity. He decided to introduce himself the first chance he got.

The day passed by with no sign of Karla, but Vlad didn't even know what she looked like. She wasn't in any of his classes that day, and their dormitories weren't co-ed.

However, as Vlad was passing by a bulletin board, he noticed a bright green flyer. He took it off of the cork, and immediately noticed what it was about.

 **Friday the 13** **th** **Cookout TONIGHT!**

 **Students of all ages welcome to view paranormal sightings.**

 **Please bring food or drink to share.**

 **Ghastly yours,**

 **The Paranormal Activities Department**

Vlad brimmed with excitement. He had almost forgotten that it was Friday the Thirteenth today and that the club had been planning this event since May. Of course, one tends to forget certain happenings when one is abroad.

After his last class of the day, Vlad went to the nearest supermarket and bought some soda and chips to share. This included Jack's favorite drink, Diet Cola. Vlad didn't quite know what Karla liked, so he simply bought supplies for s'mores.

That evening, Vlad met up with Jack and Madi to go to the forested area just beyond campus grounds. Upon his arrival, he noticed an unfamiliar face with them, a girl to be exact. The girl had platinum blond hair tied back in a low ponytail, sky blue eyes, and pale skin. She wore a red plaid dress with black stockings and Converse.

"Vlad, this Karla. Karla, meet Vlad," Madi said, gesturing between the two of them.

"H-hello," Vlad said. "Vlad Masters, at your service."

"Karla Monroe," Karla answered. "I just transferred here."

Vlad nodded, feeling the blood rush to his face. To him, Karla was already beautiful.

Suddenly, Jack jumped in-between the two acquaintances.

"C'mon, you lovebirds! Ghostly activity awaits us in that forest! We don't have a minute to lose!" Jack exclaimed. He jumped ahead with Madi while Vlad and Karla walked behind.

"So…what brought you to lovely Wisconsin?" Vlad inquired as they walked.

"Well, I heard that the air here is much clearer than good ol' Detroit," Karla replied, smiling.

Vlad blushed.

"I also like the Packers. Always been a huge fan."

Another plus.

"I see," Vlad answered. "I love the Packers as well. My dream is to one day own the team, actually. Are you a fan of the Dairy King?"

"I've always wanted to meet him! Have you?" Karla said.

"No, but…"

The two continued chatting about college life, their favorite classes, and anything else they could think of. The sounds and sights of the woods meant nothing to Vlad now. Karla was quickly turning out to be the girl of his dreams. She liked the Packers, she had blond hair, she was his exact same major, and she had mesmerizing blue eyes.

Suddenly, the two bumped into the backs of Jack and Madi. They were stopped at a lake at the edge of the forest, which Vlad found to be beautiful under the starlight.

"This here lake is supposed to be haunted by students who didn't complete their homework." Jack said with determination. "If we can see some, we can prove that our professors are, in fact, assigning us too much homework!"

"Isn't that a little…immature?" Karla inquired.

"Nonsense. You just stick with Vlad. He does all his homework, so he'll protect you, sweetie." Jack answered.

Vlad felt Karla get up on her tiptoes and lean in towards his ear.

"Is he always like this?" she whispered.

"Pretty much." Vlad returned.

"Did you see any ghosts that night?" Darienne inquired with curiosity.

"No, but I do see one right now." Vlad answered with his poker face.

"Where?"

"Right…here."

Vlad poked Darienne on the nose, making her go cross-eyed. He always couldn't help but chuckle at his daughter's facial expressions. Despite the fact that she had inherited his eyes and slightly upturned nose, the expressions were one-hundred percent Karla's. He watched as Darienne uncrossed her eyes and gazed up at him. Vlad wouldn't change that innocent expression for the world.

"Hug?" he asked.

"Hug." Darienne replied.

Father and daughter exchanged an embrace, and then Vlad tucked Darienne in. By this time, it was 5:30. Vlad kissed Darienne on the forehead, and then made his way towards the door. He shut the lights off and turned to see his daughter's eyes staring at him.

"Yes, dear?" Vlad inquired.

"Will you check on Danny to make sure he's okay?"

"Yes, sweetie. I'll tell him you said hi, too."

Darienne smiled, and then Vlad saw her eyes close. He shut the door behind him and went in the direction of Danny's room. He opened the door slightly to see the young teenager still on the ventilator where Vlad had left him. Vlad's facial expression contorted into a dark grin.

 _'Oh, Danny boy, do I have plans for you.'_


End file.
